1. The Field of the Invention
This invention relates to systems, methods, and apparatus for adding live plants to a wall inside of a building. More specifically, the systems, methods, and apparatus relate to incorporating live plants into a wall module.
2. Background and Relevant Art
Office workers often spend approximately eight hours a day or more working in an office or cubical. Such workspaces can be dull and aesthetically unpleasing, and lead to reduced production. It is known that adding plants to a workspace can increase the attractiveness of the workspace.
In addition to the foregoing, high levels of pollutants common in building interiors can contribute to illness and lower rates of productivity in the workplace. To address toxic elements circulating in the air and render it fit for human use, most buildings condition air through a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system. Conditioning air requires energy, further contributing to greenhouse gas production and the cost of building operations. Plant landscapes are known to remove harmful environmental toxins found in building interiors, and can lighten the load of the HVAC system by removing many of these pollutants, resulting in less energy use in buildings.
Unfortunately, the addition of live plants to a workspace can present a number of drawbacks. For example, typical live plants require regular watering. Hence, care and regular watering of such plants may result in interruptions to the worker, which may be unexpected and/or unwanted. Additionally, common plant watering practices may lead to spills and mess that can produce hazardous environment as well as unpleasant appearance of the individual space. The challenges and problems relevant to a single live plant may drastically increase with the number of live plants that may require attention and care.
Living walls (walls which incorporate live plants within or attached to the wall with a mechanism to provide water to such plants) are typically vertical living plant systems that are typically fixed in place. The behavior of modular and adaptive wall systems has historically been in conflict with the core nature of these living wall systems. Furthermore, in the event occupants wish to reconfigure their individual offices, conventional living walls may present an obstacle to such rearrangement as conventional living walls are immutable.
Accordingly, there are a number of disadvantages in conventional systems that incorporate live plants into the wall modules that can be addressed.